When is Obon 2027
Obon’s date genuinely differs by region, which makes it one of the more commonly mis-stated festival dates online. For 2027:
- Most of Japan (Kansai, Kyushu, Tohoku, and most other regions) — 13-16 August 2027
- Tokyo, Yokohama, and parts of Kanto — 13-16 July 2027
The split dates back to the Meiji government’s 1873 adoption of the Gregorian solar calendar in place of the traditional lunisolar calendar. Obon had always been held on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month; after the calendar change, some areas — notably Tokyo — began observing Obon on the 15th of the new Gregorian July, while most of the rest of the country shifted the observance to mid-August to stay closer to the original late-summer timing. Both are correct within their regions; neither is “the real” date.
What Obon commemorates
Obon is a Buddhist tradition, rooted in the story of Mokuren, a disciple of the Buddha who used his supernatural powers to see his deceased mother suffering in the realm of hungry ghosts. Following the Buddha’s instruction, he made offerings to Buddhist monks on behalf of his mother, which freed her from suffering — Mokuren’s resulting joyful dance is said to be the origin of Bon Odori, the folk dance now central to Obon celebrations.
The holiday’s core belief is that ancestors’ spirits return to visit the living during Obon, and the surrounding rituals are built around welcoming, honoring, and then sending those spirits back.
How it’s celebrated
Families traditionally visit and clean ancestral graves, and light lanterns to guide spirits home — mukaebi (welcoming fires) at the start of Obon and okuribi (sending-off fires) at the end. Kyoto’s Gozan no Okuribi, in which giant bonfires shaped like characters and symbols are lit on mountainsides around the city, is the most visually dramatic version of this send-off tradition.
Bon Odori, community folk dancing performed around a raised central stage (yagura) to traditional drumming, takes place at neighborhood and temple festivals throughout the Obon period, and is one of the most accessible Japanese festival traditions for visitors, since the basic dance steps are simple and often open to anyone joining in.
Food and customs
Families prepare offerings for a household altar (butsudan) during Obon, and shoryouma — small figures of horses and oxen made from cucumbers and eggplants with toothpick legs — are placed on the altar in some regions, symbolizing transport for spirits to travel quickly to the household on arrival and slowly on departure.
Best places to experience it
- Kyoto — Gozan no Okuribi, the mountainside bonfire send-off, held on 16 August
- Tokushima — home to Awa Odori, one of Japan’s largest Bon Odori dance festivals, held in mid-August
- Local neighborhood temples anywhere in Japan — smaller Bon Odori events are held nationwide and are typically open to visitors
Frequently asked questions
Is Obon a public holiday? It’s not an official national holiday, but it functions as one of Japan’s biggest travel periods, similar to how many countries treat major religious observances — many businesses close and trains and flights are heavily booked.
Which Obon date is “correct”? Neither — both mid-July (Tokyo area) and mid-August (most of the rest of Japan) are legitimate regional traditions stemming from the same historical calendar change.
Can visitors join Bon Odori dancing? Yes, most community Bon Odori events welcome visitors to join, and the basic dance patterns are simple enough to pick up by watching for a few minutes.